The Placer County sites sure do have a lot sunshine when Traci Peters is adding her personal flavor to each site she works at. With a hint of a smile on her face, she has a warm and welcoming attitude. When thinking about people who have an impact in the community they work in, Traci’s name certainly comes to mind. Get to know Traci by spotting her at one of the Placer County sites and reading her bio.

Traci Peters, Placer County Sr. Program Manager

My name is Traci Jean Peters. I am the middle child of three girls and I come from a long line of addicts and alcoholics. I grew up on the streets of Los Angeles and spent most of my childhood living in the projects in Compton. I turn 50 years old this year and I am grateful for every day above ground. I am the Senior Program Manager for the Placer County CoRR sites. I have been with the Placer County sites for 14 years. I work mostly in Auburn between the three sites, PCMIR, SPRTP, and Heritage Oaks. While I am a manager, I continue to work directly with clients and enjoy doing so. My passion is helping the individual suffering from addiction find a place of balance and wellbeing and self efficacy. I also get to be a part of the professional growth of the staff I supervise. I am a Registered/Certified addiction specialist with a Clinical Supervisor credential.

 When I am not at work I am a mother of six children (2) biological and (4) step. I spend as much time as possible in my garden. I believe my passion in life is to watch Individuals, flowers, trees, and careers grow. My goal in life is to be able to retire and feel good about the imprint I leave behind. I look forward to several more years giving back to which was given to me. I like comedy and most music. This year is a year for significant change and I am looking forward to the ride.

10 Things To Do For Your Health

10) Quiet time and Meditation – Reduce stress and promote overall well-being by…

• Finding that quiet place to sit, reflect, and enjoy the fresh air
• Deep breathing exercises (12 deep breaths can recharge your physiological battery)
• Listen to sounds of the ocean, the rainforest, or nature
• Take a relaxing bath with some lavender scented candles, smooth music, and essential oils.
• Pamper yourself as needed and recharge your battery as often as possible

A Safer New Year’s Eve for Nevada County
Grass Valley, CA, January 3^rd, 2012 –More than 25 passengers used vouchers on New Years Eve to secure safe rides home in the Grass Valley, Nevada City, and Penn Valley areas. Vouchers were provided by Community Recovery Resources (CoRR) to Gold Country Cab & Courier to help ensure a safe New Year’s Eve in Nevada County. The goal of this project was to encourage safety and responsibility for everyone in Nevada County. A special thanks to Gold Country Cab for helping to start 2012 off with a safe ride.

Impaired driving doesn’t just affect the individual behind the wheel, it affects other drivers on the road and, in turn, hurts the entire community. CoRR encourages everyone to make a resolution never to drive impaired.

 About Community Recovery Resources (CoRR)
Community Recovery Resources (CoRR)  is a non-profit health organization providing services inNevadaCountysince 1974.  CoRR serves about 2000 clients per month using a whole-person approach to treating substance abuse and associated behavioral issues, with a primary focus on the family system..  For more information, please visit our Web site at www.corr.us

From Left: Tim Brady,Project Manager; Jeff Jones, Clinical Director; and Warren Daniels, CEO are enjoying the veiw of the site on November 4th, 2011
   
Center for Hope progress is definitely underway. By November 18th, 2011, the walls will be up for the buildings that will house the Services Center,  Residential Treatment Facility, and the Transitional Living will be complete, roads have been paved and CEO, Warren Daniels, will be exploring the site with our wonderful donors and sponsors.  Thanks to all the progress being made on the Center for Hope, we have captured some amazing progression photos.  

Click to view slideshow.
 

Thank you Tru-Line, Sierra Foothills Construction and all the hard workers we see out there every day.

SBIRT has been proven to reduce overall healthcare costs while significantly improving the quality of healthcare provided.  The goal of screening and brief intervention is to reduce risk related to consumption, to eliminate high-risk alcohol and other substance use, and to increase motivation for behavior change, up to and including referral to specialized AOD treatment services. 

How Does Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral Work? 
SBIRT provides tools within a variety of settings needed to identify, and intervene, as well as refer individuals to treatment, thus reducing the associated adverse effects on health, family, and society: 

• Screening quickly assesses the individual’s level of risk from use of substances and identifies the appropriate level of intervention.
• Brief Intervention focuses on increasing an individual’s insight and awareness regarding their personal level of use of substances and evokes motivation toward behavioral change – a short, one-on-one, counseling session
• Referral to treatment provides individuals identified as needing more extensive treatment with access to specialty care.

Research shows that a brief intervention, usually delivered using a motivational interviewing technique, is the most effective practice for reducing low and moderate risk of AOD use.  Effective brief intervention is matter-of-fact and non-confrontational, and involves providing educational materials and individualized feedback on screening results, offering choices on how to make changes, emphasizing the individual’s responsibility for changing behavior, and conveying confidence in their ability to change. Inclusion of follow-up, usually in the form of a phone call, increases intervention effectiveness. Individuals at highest risk are invited to accept a referral for further assessment and treatment.

Is SBIRT Effective? 
Research studies consistently show that SBIRT changes the course of many patients’ harmful drinking and other substance use, encourages them to stop smoking, and reduces the number of hospital admissions for traumatic injuries, drinking and driving, alcohol-related injuries, and substance-related health problems. The “mainstreaming” of screening and brief intervention into health care settings destigmatizes substance use disorders by treating them as we do other chronic illnesses.  The cost benefit in reduced traumatic injuries alone is estimated at $3.81 for every $1 spent on screening and brief intervention, for an annual nationwide net savings close to two billion dollars ($2,000,000,000). 

Where Is SBIRT Provided? 
Screening and brief intervention are effective in a variety of settings.  Its effectiveness has been proven particularly in hospital emergency departments and trauma centers treating individuals with alcohol-related injuries.  SBIRT has also been shown to be effective in primary care settings, where it is incorporated into other routine medical assessments such as measuring blood pressure.  Similarly, pregnancy check-ups present an opportunity when a substance using woman is open to making changes so that her baby can be born healthy.  Nearly half of all pregnancies are unplanned, highlighting the need for health professionals to routinely inquire about alcohol and other drug consumption by women of childbearing age. 

Colleges and universities serve the 18-24 year-old population that reports higher alcohol and other drug use than any other age group. With screening and brief intervention for students, feedback on alcohol and other drug use in relation to their peers, sometimes called social norms education, is an especially effective component of SBIR.  SBIR can also be utilized in Student Assistance Programs in high-school settings, where screening tools developed specifically for teens have been effective in addressing substance use issues.

Why Is SBIRT Needed? 
In California, the use of alcohol and other drugs extracts a tremendous price – with long-term consequences for individuals, families, and society as a whole.  One of every four of us has a close relative suffering from addiction.  One in five Californians reports binge drinking (five or more drinks within a few hours) and nearly one in 10 reports illicit drug use.  The costs of substance use and abuse are enormous and include increased health care burdens, premature mortality, reduced productivity and quality of life, crime, suicide, domestic violence, child abuse, fetal alcohol spectrum disorders and incalculable pain.  Through screening and brief intervention in hospital emergency rooms, trauma centers, primary care centers, and other community settings, we can reduce the negative consequences of the use and abuse of alcohol and other drugs.

 SBIRT Toolkit:  
This toolkit is intended for behavioral and medical healthcare providers, educators, employers and service providers that are interested in learning about, developing, implementing, and/or providing SBIRT services. This toolkit is separated into sections to make it easier to identify materials that will be useful in specific settings.

Overview – Screening and Brief Intervention: Making a Public Health Difference :

·This 27 page report from Join Together provides an overview on SBI, and discusses barriers to expanded utilization and makes recommendations on ways to boost understanding and use of this important tool. Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referal (SBIRT)

SBIRT in Specific Settings: This section provides screening tools, information and materials to help with implementing SBIRT in specific settings.

• SBIRT in Medical Healthcare Settings (link to following:)
  • This Resource Guide is intended to provide clinicians serving adult populations in general medical settings with the screening tools and procedures necessary to conduct screening, brief intervention, and/or treatment referral for patients who may have or be at risk of developing a substance use disorder.  NIDA Screening for Drug Use in Medical Settings)
  •  SBIRT Implementation Toolkit for the Emergency Department Settings (link to following:
    • The Emergency Nurses Association Injury Prevention Institute developed this toolkit. It provides information, materials, and tools – including, but no limited to, a manual, Powerpoint presentation, and videos – for implementing SBIRT.

http://www.ena.org/IQSIP/Injury%20Prevention/SBIRT/ToolKit/Pages/toolkit.aspx

• SBIRT Implementation Toolkit for Trauma Patients
  • This 16 page guide developed by the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma provides tips for planning and implementing an SBI program; a description for screening methods and different screening instruments; as well as the components of a brief intervention. http://www.facs.org/trauma/publications/sbirtguide.pdf
  • SBIRT In Primary Care Settings
    • A six page scholarly article about the significance of implementing alcohol screening and brief intervention programs in the primary care settings published in the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism’s (NIAAA) quarterly, peer-reviewed scientific journal, Alcohol Research & Health. http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh28-2/57-62.pdf
    • The SBIRT Oregon Method for Primary Care Clinics: SBIRT Oregon project is funded by the Centers for Substance Abuse Treatment, under the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. http://www.sbirtoregon.org/index.php
    • Bridges to Care – Toolkit for Engaging Pregnant Women
      • This link to Contra Costa County Health Services Bridges to Care toolkit gives health care providers tools, including screening and brief intervention, to engage pregnant women who use alcohol and drugs in prenatal care. http://cchealth.org/groups/psap/bridges.php
      • SBIRT Toolkit for College and University Campuses
        • This toolkit was produced by the U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). It provides guidance for conducting a screening and brief intervention; the AUDIT instrument for screening; as well as descriptions of the effects of alcohol and lower-risk drinking strategies. http://www.friendsdrivesober.org/documents/SBI_College.pdf
        • SBIRT in the Workplace
          • This toolkit was developed by Ensuring Solutions to Alcohol Problems at the George Washington University Medical Center. It provides methodologies and tools for SBI, guidance on how to refer employees to treatment and other services, and methods for keeping track of progress and outcomes. http://www.ensuringsolutions.org/solutions/solutions_show.htm?doc_id=450551&cat_id=963
          • SBIRT in the Criminal Justice System
            • A nine page scholarly article about the significance of implementing alcohol screening and brief intervention programs in the criminal justice system published in the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism’s (NIAAA) quarterly, peer-reviewed scientific journal, Alcohol Research & Health. http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh28-2/85-93.pdf
            • American Public Health Association SBIRT Manual
              • The purpose of this manual is to provide public health professionals, such as health educators and community health workers, with the information, skills, and tools needed to conduct SBI. http://www.adp.ca.gov/SBI/pdfs/Alcohol_SBI_Manual.pdf
              • Video Screening and Brief Intervention
                • Watch a demonstration video of San Diego CASBIRT Health Educators conduct a screening and brief intervention of a patient at-risk for drug use. http://www.adp.ca.gov/SBI/screening.shtml#heading

Studies in SBIRT: This section provides data and research from studies on the impact of providing SBIRT services.

• UCLA Mental Health ASSIST Implementation
  • The research reported here is based on experiential evidence from clinicians who administered the Alcohol, Smoking, and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST) screening tool and brief intervention to college students at UCLA Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), which participated in a 3-year SAMHSA services grant to implement SBI services on a college campus. http://www.adp.ca.gov/SBI/pdfs/UCLA_Mental_Health_ASSIST_Implementation.pdf
  • Medicaid Cost Outcomes
    • The Washington State Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (WASBIRT) Project compares the changes in Medicaid costs for clients who received at least a brief intervention through the WASBIRT Project, and clients who did not receive an intervention through the program. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19927016
    • Current Research on Screening and Brief Intervention and Implementations for State Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) Systems
      • Prepared by the National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors (NASADAD), this 16 page brief provides a compilation of selected findings in SBI and an examination of the implications for administrators of AOD treatment systems. http://www.adp.ca.gov/SBI/pdfs/SBI_NASADAD_research.pdf

Screening Tools:

• This document on the Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST) was developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and an international team of substance use researchers as a simple method of screening for hazardous, harmful and dependent use of alcohol, tobacco and other psychoactive substances.
  • Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST)
  • The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) was developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a simple method of screening for excessive drinking and to assist in brief assessment. This manual introduces the AUDIT and describes how to use it.
    • Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT)

Brief Intervention:

• This document on brief intervention for substance use was developed by the World Health Organization (WHO); together with the ASSIST guidelines for use manual, this manual presents a comprehensive approach to screening and brief intervention which is tailored to the specific circumstances of primary care.
  • Brief Intervention for Substance Use: A Manual for Use in Primary Care

Motivational Interviewing:

• This publication from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) provides information on research, results, and the promise of motivational interventions. It also describes different motivational interventions that can be used at all stages of change, from precontemplation and preparation to action and maintenance.
  • Enhancing Motivation for Change in Substance Abuse Treatment: Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) Series 35
  • A seven page article about the role of motivation in alcoholism treatment, published in the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism’s (NIAAA) quarterly, peer-reviewed scientific journal, Alcohol Research & Health. 

Motivation for Change and Alcoholism Treatment

Meet the Staff:
Tara McIntire, RRW
  Hope House Intake Coordinator, Nevada County 

The Hope House Women’s Residential Treatment Facility is staffed by an all female team of amazing women who show a true passion for life and growth. Teamwork and esteem building is a particular area of strength that these remarkable women possess as they guide young women and children into a new way of life. The best example of progress, perhaps, is in that Hope House Alumni, Tara McIntire, spends her days returning to these new women a valuable gift she received. It’s a true pleasure to provide a little insight into Tara McIntire… 

Hi, My name is Tara McIntire and I am currently employed at Hope House Women’s Residential Facility as the Intake Coordinator. Aside from intakes my job duties include case management, helping client’s get to their appointments, facilitating creative expression group, and assisting our program director, Chris Findley in all areas of our structured, daily program.

I have been working here for over a year, and pursued this line of work because I truly have a passion for helping women turn their lives around. I personally battled addiction for 10 years and know what it’s like to be in the shoes are clients walk in wearing. At 23 years old I hit my “bottom”, and can remember like it was yesterday what it felt like to hit it. Desperate, scared, ashamed, lonely, and tired of living in the chaos I surrounded myself in for so long.

I walked through the doors of Hope House over 5 years ago pregnant with my second child ready and willing to do everything different and make the changes I needed to get my life back on track. I have been clean and sober ever since and I can’t begin to explain how grateful I am for the life I have today.

It is an absolute blessing I am able to walk through the same doors that changed my life and have the opportunity now to give back what was given to me ~ A life free from addiction and all the endless insanity that comes along with it. Every client that enters our facility has an impact on my life in some way, and if I had to pick my favorite thing about my job it would be seeing kids get their moms back and seeing families reunited.

From Left: Ariel Lovett, Development Director, CoRR & Kim Ortiz, Branch Manager, Wells Fargo, Grass Valley